[Exclusive] Nexon Expands AI Team to 450 Members...

Nexon Intelligence Labs Undergoes Organizational Restructuring

[Asia Economy Reporter Buaeri] Nexon has expanded its artificial intelligence (AI) team from 200 to 450 members. The company integrated two previously separate teams to increase the density of AI talent and maximize competitiveness.

According to the gaming industry on the 25th, Nexon merged its 250-member platform team with the 200-member Intelligence Labs team. Intelligence Labs is the AI research division, while the platform team applies newly developed games to mobile and PC. Nexon explained that since applying AI to the platform is essential during AI development, they consolidated the platform team into Intelligence Labs.

Nexon utilizes AI to improve game content such as game rules, scenarios, and graphics. They apply their AI analytics platform, 'Nexon Analytics,' to games by building and analyzing data on users' game characters, purchasing tendencies, and play patterns, then recommending items or gameplay accordingly. A representative example is the map and guild recommendation features in 'KartRider: Drift.'

Regarding the organizational integration, Bae Jun-young, Deputy Head of Intelligence Labs, stated, "We integrated the teams to apply AI solutions and systems more quickly and flexibly to the Nexon platform so that they can be commonly used across all games." He added, "This integration will effectively reflect various AI-based systems in multiple Nexon games."

Nexon's decision is interpreted as an effort to strengthen AI organizational capabilities by establishing an efficient system amid the severe shortage of AI specialists in Korea. Nexon plans to increase the size of Intelligence Labs to 500 members in the future.

NCSoft also expanded its AI specialists to 200 by the second half of this year, nearly a 30% increase from 150 in the first half. NCSoft already uses AI in game development processes such as text, graphic design, and motion capture, and recently launched an 'AI Easy Investment Securities Firm' in partnership with KB Securities. They plan to develop a platform where AI advises on asset management using NCSoft's technology. An NCSoft representative said, "We are continuously hiring excellent AI talent because we plan various AI businesses beyond gaming."

Netmarble operates its AI Center divided into the 'Columbus' and 'Magellan' teams, with fewer than 200 members. Columbus handles AI projects related to user analysis, while Magellan focuses on creating 'intelligent games' using AI.

Professor Wi Jeong-hyun of Chung-Ang University, president of the Korea Game Society, said, "Using AI in game development is an inevitable trend. Korea already has strong competitiveness in the gaming industry, but for future global expansion, efforts to automate game development stages by applying AI and to integrate AI into content are necessary."